Health Library

What Do You Know About Holiday Sweets and Treats?

If you want to eat healthy this holiday season, is it necessary to cut out all those tempting treats and snacks? Take this quiz to find out.

1. Which oil is best to avoid?

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Although palm oil contains no cholesterol, it is high in saturated fatty acids. These fatty acids can raise your level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease.

A. OliveB. PalmC. CanolaD. Peanut

2. Which treat has the lowest fat content?

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As a hard candy, candy canes are the best of the lot when it comes to fat—because they don't have any! Of the rest on the list, a small slice of any of them would be acceptable, if your diet permits.

A. Chocolate brownieB. FruitcakeC. Candy caneD. Cherry cheesecake

3. It's healthier to use margarine instead of butter in your butter cookies.

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Yes, some margarine contains trans fatty acids, which raise your blood cholesterol in the same way that saturated fats do. But margarine contains NO cholesterol itself; butter is rich in both cholesterol and saturated fat. Because of that, the AHA says that margarine is still preferable to butter. Pick a tub margarine that has no trans fat, no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, and lists liquid vegetable oil as its first ingredient.

A. TrueB. False

4. You want to modify your favorite cookie recipe to make it healthier. To do this, you would:

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It's better to cut back on both. If possible, replace the butter with a margarine low in saturated and trans fat. Keep in mind that some margarines used for baking will produce more acceptable results than others.

A. Reduce the butterB. Reduce the sugarC. Reduce both

5. Your sister-in-law Nicole has sent you another store-bought fruitcake this year. Before you indulge, what should you do?

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If Nicole's fruitcake has a label, then definitely read it for nutrition information. Whatever the fat content of the
fruitcake, however, you're always better off taking a small slice rather than a large one. (As for answer c, if you can't stand fruitcake, you might offer it to a friend rather than throwing it away.)

A. Read the label to see how much fat is in a serving and what kind of fat it isB. Ignore the label and dig inC. Toss the cake out (but don't tell Nicole!)D. Take a small slice

6. Latkes are your favorite part of Hanukkah, so forget about giving up fried foods at this time of year. Is there any way to make latkes healthier?

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Using as little oil as possible when cooking will decrease the fat and calories of latkes. If you want them the traditional way, then limit how many you enjoy.

A. Use a nonstick skillet and a small amount of nonstick sprayB. Bake them insteadC. Make them your traditional way, but eat only a fewD. All of the above

7. You want to serve doughnuts or some other fritter as part of your Kwanzaa celebration. How can you make them healthier for your guests?

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A baked doughnut will have both less calories and fat than a fried doughnut of the same size. Buying low-fat doughnuts from a store sounds healthier, but make sure you check the nutrition facts. Low-fat doughnuts may have more sugar and a similar amount of calories as a regular doughnut. If you stick with regular doughnuts or fritters, eat only 1. Offer other healthy choices at the party.

A. Fry them in canola oilB. Use a recipe for baked doughnutsC. Deep-fry them, but let them drain well to get off the excess oilD. Buy low-fat doughnuts from the bakery

8. You are prepared to eat sparingly at your neighbor's holiday party, but drinks shouldn't be a problem, right? After all, alcoholic drinks don't have fat or sugar.

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Can you say pina colada? Or, how about Irish coffee? Yes, some alcoholic drinks DO have fat and/or sugar. And even
if you choose one that doesn't, drink in moderation. Don't overindulge, and DON'T drink and drive.